The St. Louis chapter of YPO-WPO hosted a special event for its members at the Jet Linx St. Louis private jet hangar on Sept. 11. The evening, hosted on the anniversary of the tragedy of September 11, was designed to challenge attendees and encourage them to think beyond their comfort zone – sometimes into areas that are unfamiliar, scary or even physically challenging.

The event featured a keynote presentation from Nando Parrado. Parrado is one of the sixteen Uruguayan survivors of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, which crashed in the Andes mountains on October 13, 1972. After spending two months trapped in the mountains with other crash survivors, Parrado, along with fellow survivor Roberto Canessa, climbed through the Andes mountains over a 10-day period to find help. His story was shared with worldwide audiences in the 1993 feature film “Alive: Miracle in The Andes.”

Jet Linx St. Louis Base President Rich Ropp noted the amazing impact of Parrado’s story. “His presentation was incredible – filled with a great depth of human emotion. He was well-received by the audience.”

Guests enjoyed great hospitality at Jet Linx St. Louis. From “jet fuel” cocktails to an elegant dinner in the expansive Jet Linx hangar, YPO members toured the facility and got a taste of the Jet Linx experience. “We had two midsize jet arrivals during the cocktail reception, which added another element to the presentation and venue,” noted Ropp. “One aircraft remained after arrival, allowing guests to get an up close look and enjoy a photo op.”

Jet Linx St. Louis has previously hosted successful events for the Greater St. Louis Honor Flight.

View images from the event on our Facebook page.